SQL Hidden Character Detector
Paste a SQL query copied from Word, PDF, or a webpage and instantly find invisible characters — smart quotes, non-breaking spaces, zero-width spaces, and other look-alikes — that cause silent syntax errors in SSMS, sqlcmd, or psql.
Detect
Finds invisible & look-alike characters
Highlight
Shows exact line & column of each one
Auto-clean
One-click sanitized query
Private
Runs 100% in your browser
Paste your SQL query
Word/PDF/web se copy kiya hua SQL yahan paste karo — smart quotes, invisible zero-width characters, non-breaking spaces jaise hidden characters highlight ho jayenge jo SSMS/sqlcmd me error dete hain.
How to use
- 1Paste your SQL query into the editor
- 2Review the highlighted preview — colored marks show risky characters
- 3Check the character breakdown table for exact names and codes
- 4Copy or download the auto-cleaned, sqlcmd-safe version
What it detects
- ✓Smart quotes & dashes - curly quotes, en/em dashes from Word autocorrect
- ✓Invisible characters - zero-width spaces, BOM, soft hyphens, word joiners
- ✓Non-standard spaces - non-breaking, thin, hair, and ideographic spaces
- ✓Control characters - stray control codes that break parsers
- ✓100% Free - No registration, API keys, or limits
FAQ
Why does my query fail in sqlcmd but look fine in SSMS?
Editors like Word or PDF viewers often insert visually identical characters — curly quotes instead of straight quotes, non-breaking spaces instead of regular spaces — that some clients render normally but parsers reject or misinterpret.
Is my SQL query sent to a server?
No. Detection and cleaning both happen entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
Will the auto-clean change my query's meaning?
Cleaning only swaps flagged look-alike characters for their plain-ASCII equivalents (or removes truly invisible ones). Always review the cleaned output before running it against production.